Videocon launches Wi-Fi enabled ACs

February 19, 2015 11:15 pm | Updated 11:15 pm IST - MUMBAI

With a vision for connected homes, we applied out-of-the-box thinking to create an AC with revolutionary technology, says Videocon Group Head (Technology & Innovation) Akshay Dhoot while launching the product in Mumbai on Thursday. Photo: Shashi Ashiwal

With a vision for connected homes, we applied out-of-the-box thinking to create an AC with revolutionary technology, says Videocon Group Head (Technology & Innovation) Akshay Dhoot while launching the product in Mumbai on Thursday. Photo: Shashi Ashiwal

Consumer electronics major Videocon Industries, on Thursday, unveiled a range of Wi-Fi enabled ACs to expand its presence in the highly competitive domestic air-conditioner (AC) market.

The new Wi-Fi AC can be controlled from anywhere in the world through an app on a smartphone. It uses the Wi-Fi network at the consumer’s home to connect with a smartphone and receives signals on any 2G, 3G and 4G devices. The company, on Thursday, launched four new split ACs from 1-1.5 tonnes belonging to the Wi-Fi series. These are priced between Rs.35,990 and Rs.41,990. The focus markets for the range are Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala and Delhi. The range is to be launched nation-wide in the next few days.

Speaking at the launch, Videocon Group Head (Technology & Innovation) Akshay Dhoot said, “with a vision for connected homes, we applied out of the box thinking to create an AC with revolutionary technology. We invested around $10 million on development.”

The Android App can be downloaded on Google Play and Videocon plans upgrades every month.

Mr. Dhoot said the company would launch the App on iOS in a few weeks and on Windows in a few months. Videocon claims the Wi-Fi range of ACs is the most energy efficient one. It has a unique Precise Energy metre to keep a tab on power usage.

“The ‘Away’ mode on the AC tracks the smartphone’s current GPS location and accordingly switches off the AC to conserve power,” Videocon Industries Country Head Sanjeev Bakshi said at the media launch.

Mr. Bakshi said Videocon made ACs across its facilities. The company has seven R&D centres — two in India and the rest overseas. Split ACs have a 85 per cent share in the four million unit per annum domestic AC market.

“We would like to be a serious player in the Indian AC market and want to double our share soon from 7-8 per cent now. In calendar 2015, Wi-Fi ACs will account for 15 per cent share of our AC sales,” Mr. Bakshi said, adding that export of Wi-Fi ACs to the Middle East and SAARC countries would start in a few months.

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